The Gathering’s mission, faith formation in teens, is the hub from which all things come for the tAble, MYLE, and the Gathering. Our goal is to create environments and opportunities for faith formation through worship, Interactive Learning, Bible study, Service Learning, and fellowship. While some of the experiences can be replicated at home, some are unique and special to the Gathering because of the size and scope of this ministry.

There are five core goals that we have for this ministry. We hope that all participants can be both affirmed and challenged in their faith, experience new perspectives, ponder their vocation, bond with their congregational group, and learn more about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

While some participants may accomplish these goals during our two pre-events, MYLE or the tAble, some will at Mass Gatherings, where participants come together for music, speakers, and worship. Others might tackle these goals in the Interactive Learning space, where they can experience exciting things that the ELCA and our partners are doing. Or maybe it’s being God’s hands and feet in the Twin Cities on their Service Learning day. It might even be during Synod Day, where participants are in community with those geographically close to them or it might just happen during the nightly congregational devotion and debrief called Final 15.

Wherever it happens, we know that this is a powerful and transformational ministry if you are brave enough to let your guard down long enough for the Spirit to enter in, if you can be quiet long enough to listen to someone different than yourself, if your prayer is to be open to what God is calling you to, if you realize the strong roots of a community will ground you no matter the strength of life’s storms, if you imagine yourself as part of something bigger than you.

Greetings from the Churchwide Office in Chicago! You might be wondering, who works for the Gathering? In Chicago, there are three staff members that tend to the Gathering year-round. While they aren’t the ones who plan every single detail about the upcoming Gathering, they do support the 14 different teams that do.

Molly, the Gathering Director, first attended the Gathering in 1997 and has served at the Gathering in various capacities ever since. She’s worked at the congregational and synodical levels in youth ministry before transitioning to the Gathering in 2015.

Michael serves as the Assistant Director for the Gathering, where he handles all things housing and registration. Michael began his work with the Gathering as an intern leading up to the 2012 Gathering and has served in various roles ever since.

Justin, the Communications & Administration Program Associate for the Gathering, attended the 2012 and 2015 Gathering and then joined the Gathering staff this spring. He spent the last four summers working in outdoor ministry in various roles.

Molly, Michael, and Justin have a lot in common. Below is a Venn diagram that properly depicts some of their similarities and favorite things. Enjoy–

Lutheran youth have been gathering for more than 100 years. Yep, more than one hundred years. The predecessor church bodies that made up the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (American Lutheran Church – ALC and the Lutheran Church in America – LCA) had a rich tradition of gathering young people and their adult leaders every three years to experience the love of Christ and an opportunity to grow within their faith. Congregational youth groups would spend several days focused on worship, workshops, music, and fellowship.

Before 1988, ALC and LCA Youth Gatherings occurred in cities such as Denver, CO; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; New York City, NY; Seattle, WA; and Miami, FL with various themes such as We Are a Peculiar People and Christ is Lord. Probably one of the most notable keynote speakers was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who preached in front of 20,000 youth at the 1961 ALC Luther League convention in Miami, FL. You could say that Youth Gatherings have always been on the cutting edge, challenging young people to do God’s most righteous work.

After the birth of the ELCA, Gatherings have been held in cities that could accommodate thousands of participants, while providing facilities for experiential learning along with a venue that could hold everybody at the same time for worship and other programming. Here is a list of the ELCA Youth Gatherings, with their themes:

• 1988: San Antonio, Rejoice in the Lord Always
• 1991: Dallas, Called to Freedom
• 1994: Atlanta, 2 Be Alive
• 1997: New Orleans, Rive of Hope
• 2000: St. Louis, Dancing at the Crossroads (40,000 participants)
• 2003: Atlanta, Ubuntu: I am because we are. We are because Christ is. (38,000 participants)
• 2006: San Antonio, Cruzando: Journey with Jesus (37,000 participants)
• 2009: New Orleans, Jesus, Justice, Jazz (36,000 participants)
• 2012: New Orleans, Citizens with the Saints (33,000 participants)
• 2015: Detroit, Rise up Together (30,000 participants)
• 2018: Houston, This Changes Everything (32,000 participants)

In 2000, 2003, and 2006 the Gathering was a two-week, back to back, identical event. This way, the Gathering would be less crowded and more intimate. However, it ended up being not financially sustainable, so in 2009 there was a switch back to a one-week, one event model.

Our demographics have changed, and the overall shrinking of mainline denominations may play a role in decreasing numbers of participants, but the ELCA Youth Gathering continues to capture the hearts and ignite faith in tens of thousands of people every three years. The Gathering has also helped young people discern calls into the Church or in fields of service, where they can carry out God’s work with their hands.

We hope that you will join us in being a part of the Gathering history in 2021!

Welcome back to the ELCA Youth Gathering blog!

It’s been a while since our last blog post, but we are so excited to start it up again for the 2021 Gathering cycle. The blog will serve as a place for those who love and are transformed by this ministry to share their stories, best practices, and insights. It will also serve as a place to be inspired by the incredible impact this ministry has on individuals and communities.

We plan to hear these stories and tips from a wide range of voices including youth participants, adult leaders, Bishops, Gathering staff, team leaders, artists, speakers, learning partners, and Minneapolis leaders within the next two years. If there are specific people you’d like to hear from or topics that you think would make a great blog post, please let us know by email.

We also invite you to subscribe to the Gathering’s blog. This is a separate list from the gNews, which shares important updates about the Gathering. In fact, it would be great for everyone in your congregation or ministry to sign up, so they too can read first-hand the impact the Gathering has on individuals and communities.

We’ll see you next Thursday!